Accounting for Standard Delivery Renewable Energy

Thanks for sharing, Michelle-- can you expand on what existing entities or organizations might already be using this framework of credibility criteria, whether directly through this process or in frameworks they've created internally that reflect these principles? 

"Energy attribute certificates, or just “certificates”, embody the generation attributes of one megawatt-hour (MWh) of RE. Certificates not only make attribute ownership verifiable, they also make attributes easily tradable – they enable markets for generation attributes. These markets for generation attributes or certificates – commonly called renewable energy markets – are used by grid consumers to substantiate claims to RE. In this case, where the certificate instrument meets the quality criteria explained in this document, certificate ownership (or certificate retirement on one’s behalf) determines a credible RE usage claim. Examples include the North American renewable energy certificate (REC) and the Guarantee of Origin (GO) in Europe."

Michelle, from any scientific or accounting perspective: that the "clean energy attributes" of generation can be captured in the form of a paper certificate (a "REC"), which can then be sold to a coal plant and used to clean an equivalent amount of dirty energy, is patently fraudulent.

Two entites are being allowed to take credit for generating the same clean energy; neither is taking responsibility for the emissions generated by the coal plant. Why this astoundingly obvious deception is not only tolerated but promoted by renewables developers is obvious: it assigns each megawatthour of energy from their solar farms twice its environmental value. Known as "double-counting", it's used as a basis for subsidies, meeting renewable energy targets, and any number of other illegitimate purposes, and was first documented by the Federal Trade Commission in 2007. When clean energy advocates protested the practice, promoters quickly came up with the artifice of "retiring" RECs and keeping elaborate records thereof, but only after they had already been counted twice.

Years ago a problem arose in California: how would energy generated by the coal plant then "cleaned" be categorized? If compared to financial receipts, there would be too much free energy - the numbers wouldn't add up. So the California Energy Commission invented a special category called "null" energy which wasn't added to the total. It was never generated, it was just there on the books. Its emissions had vanished into thin air.

I kid you not.

Solar energy is unavailable at night. To get around this fundamental deficiency, RECs were invented as a way to make clean energy generated during the day count as clean energy generated at night. Now that its been recognized as a fraud, solar/wind developers, either from ignorance or sheer mendacity, have proposed the idea huge batteries can be used to store energy used during the day, then recycle it at night. They've even constructed huge battery installations next to solar farms - none of which are actually charged by solar energy from the farm, but from a grid connection.

Like many other clean energy advocates you seem to be genuinely concerned about climate change, and perhaps you were unaware. But renewable energy attributes can't be "substantiated using credible data" when the concept itself is a scam.